7 30: Transform
by UnlimitedDreams
Summary: Koenma assigns the Spirit Detectives to look after a five year old child named Eleanor. The next day, a transfer student with the same name turns up in Kurama's class...
1. Chapter 1

"What?!" Yusuke shouted. "Are you out of your mind toddler? You want us to take care of _that?!"_

He pointed to a corner where a five year old child was sitting on a couch. "We're fighters, not a childcare facility!"

"Um… Well, you see, her parents are good friends of my dad's, and something happened, so they entrusted me to take care of their child." Koenma shrank back a little.

"Well, they can jolly well come back from that _something_ and take care of her!" Yusuke shot back.

"That would be pretty impossible, I'm afraid. They're out searching for a counter spell for the curse laid on her." Koenma inclined his head slightly in the direction of the child.

"So now we not only have to take care of a child, but one with a curse on top of that?" Yusuke yelled.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, she can't stay at _my_ place." Yusuke grumbled, "Won't be a good influence on her."

"She can't stay in mine either, my sis would probably kill me if I brought her back." Kuwabara said.

Everyone turned to look at Kurama. He took a small step back. "I've got absolutely no experience in caring for a small child…"

"But your mother can help. C'mon, you're the only one whose home has a suitable environment for a child."

Kurama relented. "I'll have to ask my mother first…" he said somewhat uncertainly.

Almost before the words were out of his mouth, he found a phone being offered to him.

"Call her now."

He looked at Hiei, wondering where he got the phone from. Resignedly, he took the phone and dialed the number.

Koenma looked at the phone, and found it somewhat familiar. Gazing at his desk, he had a sudden realization: the phone was gone!

Hiei had taken it from his desk. Apparently, he was more anxious about getting rid of the child than he appeared to be.

"Um… Yes, so I was wondering if you could let her stay in our house for a few days."

Kurama tried to explain to his mother why there was a need to let a child stay with them.

"Yes…Thank you mother. Bye." Kurama put down the phone. "She said yes."

Yusuke and Kuwabara whooped in joy.

"So now we'll just have to bring her to your place." Yusuke said, walking towards the child. "C'mon kid, let's go."

The child looked up at him. Her eyes were deep and dark, the purest shade of black. She smiled, jumping off of the couch. She reached out and grasped hold of Yusuke's hand.

"Hey, look, she likes you!" Kuwabara said.

"There's no need to state the obvious," said Hiei, turning around and preparing to leave the room. "Though someone like you probably does in order to comprehend it."

"Hey, take that back." Kuwabara shouted.

"Now, now, there's no need to quarrel," Kurama interjected. "It's getting late. Let's just go home."

Grudgingly, they followed his advice and walked towards the portal created by Botan.

"Good luck taking care of her!" The ferry girl seemed rather too cheery.

The Reikai Tantei stepped out into the cool night air. The child let go of Yusuke's hand and walked towards Kurama. He bent down so that she was at eye level. "Hi, my name is Ku…" he then thought better of it. It would not do for the child to call him Kurama in front of his mother, after all. "Shuichi Minamino. What's your name?"

"My name's Eleanor," came the soft reply. She then caught sight of some flowers nearby. She wandered over to the bushes. "The flowers are pretty," she said.

"Do you like flowers?" Kurama asked.

Eleanor nodded vigorously.

"Here…" Kurama gave her a rose.

Eleanor looked at the flower wonderingly, before reaching out and taking it from him.

"Thank you," she said, smiling dazzlingly.

Just then, there was a pulse of youki. The Reikai Tantei looked up just as a demon stumbled into view. It was large, about two times the size of a human. It was also rather strong.

The Reikai Tantei split up to attack the demon. Kuwabara charged in with his spirit sword, prepared to kill the demon in one attack. However, just as he was about to hit it, he was suddenly repelled by an invisible barrier.

The demon merely stood there and laughed. Yusuke fired his spirit gun. It hit the demon point blank. However, when the smoke cleared, it was still standing there, seemingly unharmed.

Kurama and Hiei tried in turn, but none of the attacks even reached the demon. It stood there, laughing at them all.

Eleanor was standing by the side, watching their futile attacks. Looking at the demon, she noticed that it was holding a emerald in its hand. Puzzled, she tilted her head to the side. The gem was not emitting any power, yet she just had a feeling that was the one that was creating the barrier.

"I want it! Give it to me!" Eleanor demanded, pointing at the jewel the demon held.

"And what if I don't, little girl?" the demon laughed.

Eleanor's eyes narrowed. "You dare to say no?" she asked, her voice threatening.

"Yes," the demon replied, still laughing. "What're you going to do about it?"

The rest of the team had stopped fighting, looking at the exchange between the demon and the little girl. Eleanor sprang forward, determined to hit the monster for laughing at her, when suddenly, she was being held back.

"What are you doing?" she snapped at Kurama. He did not bother to reply.

As if on cue, the rest of the Reikai Tantei started attacking the demon again. Eleanor bit and scratched at the arms holding her. "Let go of me!" she screamed. Turning around, she tried to kick Kurama in his stomach. However, he stopped it easily. Having expected that, Eleanor followed it with another kick to his side.

Kurama was caught by surprise, not having expected a child to do that. His grip loosened slightly. Eleanor twisted out of his grip and headed straight for the demon. Snarling, she jumped onto its back while the others were attacking it from the front. It howled in rage and tried to reach Eleanor, but failed to.

Eleanor climbed onto its head and grasped hold of its horns. "Give it to me, now!" she yelled.

"No, no, NO!"

Angered, Eleanor slipped down slightly and tried to claw out the demon's eyes. The rest of the team had stopped attacking the demon for fear of injuring her. The demon released the jewel in order to hit Eleanor. However, Eleanor jumped off it at the very moment to

catch the emerald.

The demon ended up hitting itself. "Spirit gun!" Yusuke fired his attack now that Eleanor was safely out of the way. The demon smirked. The attack had not worked before. After all, the jewel protected him from all spiritual… Wait, the jewel?

The demon's face was twisted in shocked realization just as the attack hit and it was obliterated.

With the threat over, the four spirit detectives surrounded Eleanor. "That was really, bad of you, Eleanor," Kurama said, his tone quietly chastising.

"I'm sorry," Eleanor said, looking at the ground, seemingly downcast. "But I wanted the jewel and he didn't give it to me," she added defensively.

Yusuke snorted in laughter. "She's even more self-centered than you, Hiei."

"Hn," Hiei did not bother to comment.

"You can't always just take what you want," Kurama said. "Besides, you were putting yourself in danger."

"But-but… It was attacking all of you, and it wouldn't give me the jewel, so…" Eleanor's eyes filled with tears. "I was scared and angry and… I'm sorry."

Kurama sighed. "It's okay; just make sure that you obey next time."

He looked at the scratches and tooth marks on his arms. Inwardly, he was amazed that such a small child could cause so much damage.

"I'm really sorry…" Kurama looked up and saw Eleanor's eyes glistening with tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"

She searched in her pockets. "Here," she offered Kurama a sweet. "Mama always gives me sweets when I fall down or get injured. It always makes things better."

"Aww…That's so nice of her…" whispered Kuwabara.

Kurama shook his head, smiling slightly. "No, there's no need. I heal very fast."

"Are you sure?" Eleanor asked looking worriedly at him.

"Yes, I'm sure." Reaching out, he grasped hold of her hand. "Do you like ice-cream?" he asked.

"Yes," Eleanor answered.

"Well, we can eat some when we get home, okay?"

"Yay!" she cheered.

"I guess this is where we part." Yusuke commented, shrugging.

None of them had noticed the triumphant glint in Eleanor's eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Eleanor woke up, still feeling slightly groggy. She looked around, somewhat disoriented, until the events of the previous night came to mind. Blinking sleepily, Eleanor stifled a yawn and looked at the clock. It was 7.15 in the morning!

Eleanor jumped out of bed, the last vestiges of sleep vanishing from her mind. She hurried down the staircase, almost tripping over her own feet. Shiori looked up as she burst into the living room.

"Good morning, Eleanor," she greeted with a bright smile. "You're up early."

"Good morning, Minamino-san," Eleanor replied, pausing. With a quick glance at a nearby clock, she added, "I'm sorry, but there is somewhere I need to be at 7.30."

Shiori frowned slightly. "Where is it? I'll take you there."

"Umm… It really isn't necessary…" said Eleanor.

"It's not safe for a five year old to go out alone…" Shiori appeared hesitant.

Another quick glance at the clock revealed that she had only ten minutes left. "It's really close by…" Shiori still appeared rather uncertain. "Please…" she pleaded.

"Okay then," she agreed reluctantly.

"Thank you!" Eleanor rushed out of the house, calling out, "I'll be home by 7.45 tonight!"

"Wait…7.45?" Shiori ran to the door, but Eleanor was already out of sight. "I hope she knows what she's doing," she sighed.

Eleanor continued running until she came to a somewhat deserted place. Looking around, she checked to see that no one was there. She crouched down, panting slightly. There was a bright flash of light.

Had anyone been there, they would have been extremely surprised. For where a five year old girl had been crouching only moments before, a fifteen year old girl now stood.

"I'm going to be late!" Eleanor cried out, and promptly took off.

"My lady, in here!" A car pulled up next to where Eleanor stood, panting.

He was getting out of the car to open the door for her when she opened it herself and slipped inside.

"There's no time for this," she said, in response to the look he gave her. "Hurry, I don't want to be late on my first day."

Eleanor leaned back into the seat, feeling thankful that the transformation had already

outfitted her in her school uniform. Her bag was passed to her. "Thank you," she told Bill gratefully. Bill was one of the oldest family servants, having been around even before she was born.

"You're welcome, my lady."

The car pulled up outside the school gates. Eleanor got out. "I'll walk home on my own later," she instructed. "There will be no need to pick me up."

Turning around, Eleanor walked into the school. She was just in time; it appeared, for the school gates closed behind her mere seconds after she passed through.

Eleanor looked at her timetable, trying to find the classroom. She looked at the door numbers, searching methodically. The teacher was taking attendance just as she entered.

"Ah, you must be the transfer student," he said. "Welcome to our school."

"This is Eleanor Sunstar. She has transferred over in the middle of the school term due to certain reasons. I hope that you will all make her feel welcome," the teacher told the class.

Looking at the students, he contemplated which one would make the best impression. He nodded to himself as he made his decision.

"There is an empty seat next to Mr. Minamino," he said, gesturing. "You may sit there."

Addressing Shuichi, he added, "As Eleanor is new to this school, I hope that you will show her around and help her if she has any trouble."

Eleanor walked quickly to her seat as she tried to ignore the stares. It was making her slightly nervous and she could not afford to lose control, not here. She slid down into her seat and took out her textbook. The first lesson was Literature, her favorite subject. The bell seemed to ring all too soon, signifying the end of the lesson.

Eleanor sighed in dismay as she looked at the schedule. The next lesson was P.E.

Eleanor panted as she ran. Her head was spinning and her lungs felt like they were on fire. Looking up, she realized that she had not completed even half a round. She groaned in dismay. How was she supposed to complete another three rounds? The teacher was now jogging beside her.

"Hurry up, girl. Just move a little faster," she said. "Jog, don't walk."

Eleanor pushed herself to keep going, but her pace eventually dropped to a walk. Luckily, the teacher had gone to hurry other students.

"No walking!" the teacher yelled from the other end of the track.

_How did she _get_ there so fast?_ Eleanor wondered, her mind drifting. She felt like she was about to drop from exhaustion. Abruptly, she stopped, certain that she was not able to run anymore. She bent forward, hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

"I…I'm fine," Eleanor replied as she gasped for breath.

"Come on then, don't give up halfway."

_Easy for you to say,_ thought Eleanor. _You're not even breathing hard._ Thinking back to the battle against the demon, she smiled wryly. _Though I guess running round the track's nothing compared to fighting those things._

Taking a deep breath, she began jogging again. _Should have said I wasn't fine,_ she thought idly. _I wouldn't have to run round this stupid track then._

"Pace yourself, don't go too fast," Shuichi advised. "And regulate your breathing."

With his advice and encouragement, Eleanor finally managed to complete the four rounds required. The rest of the lesson was relatively easy.

As they walked to the next class, Shuichi commented, "You're really good at everything else. Only your stamina seems to be lacking."

Eleanor shrugged. "Well, everyone has their own weaknesses."

"But this is one which you can overcome with training," he protested.

"Believe me; this weakness can never be overcome no matter how much training I undergo."

Eleanor sighed as they reached the classroom. "I hate math."

"Don't worry," Shuichi said lightly. "We're doing logarithmic graphs today."

Eleanor groaned. "I don't even know what those are."

Eleanor was able to understand the lesson, for the most part as Shuichi was explaining to her all that the teacher said. She was somewhat apprehensive though, wondering if he would get exasperated with her slowness. But if he was, he never showed it.

"I could tutor you after school," he offered, as the bell rang. "Would tomorrow be okay?"

Eleanor nodded. "Thank you," she said.

It was now recess. Eleanor grabbed her lunch box and moved towards the door hurriedly, hoping to avoid the crowd of girls headed in their direction. When she reached the door, Eleanor turned back and waved. "Good luck!" she called out.

Shuichi's somewhat disgruntled look forced Eleanor to cover her mouth in order to stifle her giggles. Moving swiftly, she soon found a staircase which led to her destination – the rooftop.

Eleanor sat on one of the benches available there while gazing at the scenery down below. The bench was placed next to the railings, making it easy to look down over the school grounds. Slowly, Eleanor ate her lunch, enjoying the gentle breeze which ruffled her hair.

Suddenly, Eleanor felt a strong youki close by. She jumped to her feet, It was coming up the same staircase she used. With the current limiters on her power, there was no way she could defeat him. There was no time to remove the limiters. Eleanor tensed and prepared to flee.

The door opened, and Shuichi stepped through. Eleanor almost collapsed from relief.

"Hi!" she greeted. "You managed to get away from your fans I see."

"No thanks to you," he grumbled, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. "You disappeared the moment they appeared."

"I have an aversion to crowds," she said, waving her hand in the air as if to brush the matter aside.

Both of them sat down on the bench.

"So, how did you manage to lose them anyway?" Eleanor asked curiously.

"Oh, I hid," he replied evasively.

Eleanor shrugged and changed the topic. "Is this where you usually come during break?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Though I should come here more often," he added thoughtfully. "The view here is great."

"Yeah, it is," Eleanor agreed. "So scenery is also a factor when you choose hiding places?"

"Companionship too," he replied. "You are somewhat… different from the others."

"Meaning I'm not crazy over you?" Eleanor teased. "It's only my first day. I could be hiding my true personality. Who knows, I might be even more obsessed than they are."

Then I shall beat a hasty retreat when you _do_ reveal your true personality," he said nonchalantly.

The bell rang. "Two more hours," Shuichi commented.

They started walking to the classroom.

"I've only been here a day and I'm tired of that bell," said Eleanor. "They should replace it with a song or something."

"Look on the bright side of things, as least you'll only hear it two more times today."

"It's only the first day of school and I already feel exhausted," Eleanor sighed.

They stepped through the classroom door.

Eleanor stared dreamily into space as she walked home. The weather was good today, so didn't feel like being stuck in a car.

She looked wistfully around her. It felt good to _be_ herself. Of course, that would soon end. At 7.30, her mind and body would once again revert to her five year old state.

Her family was now searching for a counter spell. Due to the places and conditions in which they travelled, it was not convenient to bring a young child along. Fearful that she would be attacked when in her five year old form, they had asked Koenma to take care of her.

_Of course_, she thought wryly, _he dumped me off on the Spirit Detectives_.

Eleanor closed her eyes briefly. The power limiters were useful, helping her contain most

of her power. However, even the small fraction left was capable of causing great damage. She came to a stop outside a pair of imposing looking gates. They automatically swung open to admit her. _Bill must have told them I was walking home._

Slowly, Eleanor walked towards the mansion, passing by the large gardens. Entering her home, Eleanor shook her head as a maid offered to help her carry her bag. Taking the hint, she retreated, shooing away others approaching Eleanor.

Eleanor placed her bag on the floor of her bedroom before changing out of her school uniform. She made a mental note to change into a fresh set before leaving.

That settled, Eleanor took out the jewel the demon from the night before had so kindly 'given' her. Walking to her study desk, she sat down. Rifling through the drawers, she found what she had been searching for – several crystals which looked identical to the emerald.

Following that, Eleanor took out needle and some string, preparing to thread them all into a bracelet. That was when she realized that the gem had no hole through the center.

Frowning, Eleanor reached inside of her to the well of power that she knew was there.

Carefully, she drew out a single thread, sending it into the jewel, willing it to change. There was a slight stir of consciousness in it. Eleanor drew back in shock, breaking the connection.

As she stared at the jewel, there was a light brush against her mind. Cautiously, Eleanor connected with it.

_Are you the one who woke me up?_ It demanded.

_That depends. Are you the emerald?_ Eleanor questioned.

_I suppose to you mortals I would look like a gemstone,_ it conceded with a sniff.

_If you aren't an emerald, what are you then?_

_I am a familiar, one that is bonded to my master through magic._ There was a pause, and Eleanor felt it assessing her mentally. _The Starstone family must be in dire straits for one as weak as you are to be my master._

Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise. _You're one of the Starstones?_

The Starstones were the legendary stones her family was named after. Once every twenty years thousand years – or the average lifespan of a member of the Starstone family, the Starstones would vanish. The family member with the highest potential would have to search for and awaken the stones. This was supposed to keep them from growing slack and their power from waning due to over-dependence on the Starstones.

_Yes, that's what I said,_ it replied rather snappishly. _And since you're the next keeper, I guess we're stuck with each other for the next few millennia._

_Would it work if I asked you to protect someone else?_ Asked Eleanor.

_Of course! As the Starstone of defense, Earthgreen, no one would even be able to get close to one I was guarding. _It boasted. There was a pause. _Who do you want me to protect?_

_A woman named Shiori,_ replied Eleanor.

_Why do you want me to protect her anyway? _Earthgreen questioned.

_Her son, Shuichi, is a Spirit Detective. I fear that demons may try to hold her hostage in order to threaten her son._

_Spirit Detectives, huh? I remember them. My previous Keeper, Jarin, were friends with them._

_Jarin's my grandfather,_ Eleanor informed Earthgreen.

_I can see the family resemblance. Both of you are also equally ignorant. Fancy mistaking me for an emerald. What an insult!_ It huffed.

_Um… so about the protection thing… Shiori doesn't know about… well, everything. So, would you mind shaping yourself into a bead?_

_What for? _Earthgreen asked.

_To thread into a bracelet for her._

Earthgreen sighed. _This is degrading…_

It glowed with a soft green light. A hole appeared in its center and Eleanor threaded it up with the other beads. She tied the ends of the thread together and beamed at the finished product.

Eleanor tucked the bracelet into the pocket of the uniform she planned to change into. She then took out her homework and started doing it. It was 4.00pm and Eleanor aimed to complete her homework by 6pm, leaving an hour for revision.

Planning ahead, she knew that in order to reach Shiori's house in time, she would have to leave about half an hour earlier, just in case she ran into any trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurama had sensed it the moment she stepped into the classroom. She had not even bothered to mask her aura. When the teacher introduced her as _Eleanor_ Sunstar, he was more certain than ever that something was off.

Koenma assigned them to take care of a five year old child by the name of Eleanor. The next day, a girl with the exact same name and an aura that was suspect turned up in his class.

He was extremely glad when the teacher asked him to be the one to show her around school. He would have volunteered even if the teacher had not asked. After all, this would reduce the chance of her being up to some mischief.

He had been rather astonished at her poor athletic ability. However, he assumed that she was merely putting up an act. But now, as he thought about it, her exhaustion had seemed real.

At that point in time, he was unsure if she knew who he was, but the way she did not even bother to try masking her aura convinced him. Her power was only half of his at the most.

Still, it was better to err on the side of caution. He acted as friendly as possible towards her during math class, hoping to dispel any suspicions she might have that he knew. He even went as far as to offer to tutor her after school. The more time he spent with her, was less time she had to put any scheme she might have into action.

When she vanished while he was surrounded by his fans, he was somewhat alarmed. He left to find her as soon as he could, certain that she was up to nothing good.

He had rushed up the staircase, aura flaring, prepared for battle. When he stepped through the door, he was prepared for almost anything – except the look of sheer relief on her face. It was quickly masked though, and she started teasing him about his quick escape from his fans.

The conversation he had with her was surprisingly enjoyable, as were the last two lessons. So far, she had not seemed to be a threat, but he could not afford to take any chances.

He followed her on her way home, staying out of sight.

To avoid alerting the guards, he had not slipped through behind her when she entered the gates. Instead, he had circled the compound, mapping out its weaknesses along with possible ways to enter and escape. It was then that Hiei had turned up.

"So you've sensed it too?" he asked.

"Hn," was the reply.

Kurama took it to mean yes. "Have you informed the others?"

There was no reply. Kurama assumed it was a no. Turning back to the wards at hand, he probed the wards with spiritual energy, testing them.

He smirked when he found a weakness. Applying slightly more pressure, he gradually increased the force until the wards broke – without triggering the alarm.

Kurama felt a small shift in the air beside him. Hiei had left to inform the other Spirit Detectives.

_This is your forte, fox._ Hiei's voice echoed in his head, replying his unasked question. _I have no reason to remain here._

Kurama threw a seed to the top of the wall, commanding it to grow. Seconds later, a strong, thick vine hung there. Using the vine, Kurama scaled the wall easily, being careful to avoid the barbs positioned at the top.

Cautiously, he slipped through the crack in the ward he had created. Close behind was a long stretch of grass taller than he was. Next to it was a well-mown lawn.

Kurama almost snorted. Common thieves would attempt to sneak to the house using the tall grass as cover. Unbeknown to them, they would become a tasty snack for the flesh eating plants hidden within.

Those who tried to get to the house using the lawn would be plain stupid or have a death-wish. It was a long way to the house, with no cover in sight.

Slowly, Kurama walked into the tall grass. The flesh-eating plants stirred, sensing food. They soon quieted down when he calmed them, commanding them to return to their slumber.

After emerging from the long stretch of grass, karma reached the house. He was about to scale the wall when he had the sudden feeling that something was off.

Stopping, he examined the wall more closely. He was impressed with the ward he found. It was one so subtle, few would be able to detect, let alone disable it.

Kurama had only encountered it once before in his career, when breaking into the home of an extremely high ranking demon, rumored to be connected to the Reikai authorities. He had been bored and looking for a challenge, thus deciding to try to break into her home. He paused slightly. Though it had been close to a thousand years since the encounter, he could still remember it vividly.

He had not noticed the ward and had triggered it by accident. Having opted for stealth that day, he had gone alone, not bringing any of his subordinates with him. He had been hopelessly outnumbered.

The guards were surprisingly strong. However, he would still have been able to win had there only been ten or twenty of them.

He had expected to be killed. Instead, the demoness he was brought to struck a deal with him. She said that she had heard much of his fighting skills and wanted to battle against him. If he gave her a good fight, or managed to defeat her, she would release him.

He had agreed, confident in his fighting ability. Besides, he was sure that she was probably the daughter of the demon and was merely a pampered princess. He was shocked when her attacks hit him with devastating power and precision. He barely managed to block it. As he dodged wave after wave of attacks, he had begun to lose hope of making it out alive.

It happened so suddenly. Her attacks had been steadily decreasing in power after the first five minutes. When it dropped to a level he could overcome, he unleashed his counterattack. His attack tore through hers, hitting her point-blank.

She collapsed on the floor. Seconds later, he too fell unconscious.

When he woke up, he was lying on a bed. The injuries he sustained from the battle had been treated and bandaged. Noticing that he was awake, the demoness he fought against closed the book she had been reading and placed it on a nearby table.

"Yes, you're free to go," she said, in reply to his silent question.

In the end, he didn't leave. Instead, he stayed for a month, learning about different wards and ways of breaking them. In exchange, he taught her how to grow certain Makai plants to guard her home. Flesh-eating plants had been one of her favorites.

Kurama was struck by the similarities between Eleanor and the demoness. Now that he recalled it, he was pretty sure that demoness was also named Eleanor. For a moment, he wondered if they were the same person. After all, they even looked similar. Waist- length black hair, eyes which were dark and deep, yet sparkled like the water they resembled when she was happy.

He soon dismissed the notion. After all, Eleanor had but a fraction of the power the other Eleanor possessed.

With a satisfying click, the ward was disabled. Kurama sent a creeper plant growing upward, its roots anchoring it in any nook or cranny it could find. Swiftly, he climbed upward, heading towards where he sensed Eleanor to be.

Breaking into the house had taken him longer than her thought it would. He glanced at his watch. It was 4.30.

Reaching Eleanor's window, he gazed inside. She appeared to be diligently doing her homework.

He slipped out of sight as she looked up, seeming to have sensed him. Seeing nothing, Eleanor bent her head once again, continuing with her work.

He peered into the room, scrutinizing every inch. A flash of green caught his eye. A bracelet was half hanging out of the pocket of her school uniform. It was made from beads which looked identical to the jewel the younger Eleanor had taken from the demon they fought last night.

He briefly wondered if the two Eleanors might be the same person. He dismissed the notion immediately. It was even more ludicrous than the previous one.

Kurama remained at the window, watching her for another five minutes. When it became obvious that he would not be able to gather any information that way, he went to another window.

Though it was in the afternoon, no one was around. The room he looked into was empty. The windows were closed, however.

Silently, he commanded a thin vine to slip in through the crack at the bottom of the window. Carefully, he manipulated it to undo the catch from inside. He pushed lightly against the window. It opened soundlessly.

Apparently, he had entered an attic or storeroom of some sort. The place was messy and cramped, with various items scattered on the floor. Dust lay thickly on everything. It seemed that he was the first to enter in years.

As he took a step into the room, he could feel the power of the artifacts it contained. The air was practically _humming_ with power.

With some difficulty, he resisted the urge to take some of the more powerful items. He sternly reminded himself that it was information, not artifacts, which he sought. His gaze landed on a pile of books.

The books, like everything else in the room, were covered with dust. He tried his best to read the titles through the layer of dust, for if he brushed the dust off, it would be equivalent to shouting to the next person who entered the room that someone had been there.

He finally settled on a promising looking book and a rather battered journal. Just as he was about to leave, he reached out and swiped a silver ring from one of the nearby shelves. The urge to steal, a leftover instinct from his days as Youko, had become too hard to resist.

Once out of the room, Kurama debated whether he should leave or stay. However, the matter was taken out of his hands. A piercing whistle split the air, disrupting the quiet of the afternoon.

He winced, climbing down the vine and recalling it back into a seed once he was back on the ground. He then took off running, recognizing Botan's whistle.


End file.
